Basket, Bird, and Fruit

Dateca. 1830

Maker J. Stuart Halladay & George Herrel Thomas

MediumPaint on cotton velvet

DimensionsUnframed: 14 1/2 x 18in. (36.8 x 45.7cm) and Framed: 17 x 20 5/8in.

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1958.403.6

DescriptionA basket of fruit placed atop a rectangular mat with a parrot-like bird perched on a a grape stem and plucking one of the fruits, a butterfly off to the right side.

Label TextMore than twenty-five examples of the Fruit, Bird and Butterfly group have been recorded, suggesting that the instructions for executing this design were likely printed and widely distributed. Minor variations indicate that amateur artists completed many of the details to suit their individual tastes. Living creatures like the bird and butterfly are absent from many theorem patterns, but here they are dynamic additions to the basket containing milkweed pods and a variety of fruits, including grapes, peaches, and pears.
ProvenanceJ. Stuart Halladay and Herrel George Thomas, Sheffield, Mass. Halladay died in 1951, leaving his interest in their jointly-owned collection to his partner, Thomas. Thomas died in 1957, leaving his estate to his sister, Mrs. Albert N. Petterson, who was AARFAM's vendor.

Exhibition(s)